Jack Rodwell: Young English players should NOT join Manchester City
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New Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell admits he would not advise other English youngsters to sign for Manchester City.
Rodwell was rated as one of England's brightest prospects after impressing at boyhood club Everton, but made just 16 first-team appearances for City following a £12 million transfer in 2012.
After a tough couple of years in Manchester that included regular hamstring injuries, the 23-year-old has now moved to Sunderland for £10 million to reignite his stalled career.
The Merseyside-born midfielder is one in a long list of young Englishmen, who have struggled to establish themselves at Eastlands, with Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair still there, whilst the likes of Adam Johnson and Daniel Sturridge have left to enjoy greater success elsewhere.
"Personally, I would probably say don't sign now. I'd say get as much football as you can," Rodwell told reporters when asked for his advice to teenagers.
"The first thing I'd ask is, 'how good are you?' You just never know - you could go there, do really well and be winning league titles and everything.
"But just because you're English and young it doesn't mean you're not going to play for Manchester City.
"I would just say weigh up your options and ask yourself if you want to be playing regularly."
And Rodwell believes he would have played for England in this summer's World Cup had his exciting career not stalled at City.
Capped three times, Rodwell's last international appearance came in a friendly against Brazil in June 2013.
He added: "If I'd been playing regularly for the last two years, I believe I probably would have been there.
"I certainly think I would have been playing at the World Cup."
Rodwell was rated as one of England's brightest prospects after impressing at boyhood club Everton, but made just 16 first-team appearances for City following a £12 million transfer in 2012.
After a tough couple of years in Manchester that included regular hamstring injuries, the 23-year-old has now moved to Sunderland for £10 million to reignite his stalled career.
The Merseyside-born midfielder is one in a long list of young Englishmen, who have struggled to establish themselves at Eastlands, with Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair still there, whilst the likes of Adam Johnson and Daniel Sturridge have left to enjoy greater success elsewhere.
"Personally, I would probably say don't sign now. I'd say get as much football as you can," Rodwell told reporters when asked for his advice to teenagers.
"The first thing I'd ask is, 'how good are you?' You just never know - you could go there, do really well and be winning league titles and everything.
"But just because you're English and young it doesn't mean you're not going to play for Manchester City.
"I would just say weigh up your options and ask yourself if you want to be playing regularly."
And Rodwell believes he would have played for England in this summer's World Cup had his exciting career not stalled at City.
Capped three times, Rodwell's last international appearance came in a friendly against Brazil in June 2013.
He added: "If I'd been playing regularly for the last two years, I believe I probably would have been there.
"I certainly think I would have been playing at the World Cup."
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